Concerts #447, 457 - Barry McGuire at Coffee Gallery Backstage (August 7, 2007 & December 30, 2007)

When I first heard Barry McGuire's voice in 1965, my young jaw dropped to the floor and it stayed there for months and years, while I was waiting for a follow-up to his brilliant "Eve Of Destruction". Well, the follow-up never came and to make things worse, Barry disappeared without a trace. It was two decades later when I learned about his becoming a new-born Christian and, at that time, I did not even dream about ever having the chance to see him perform live, let alone meet him and talk with him. Over the years, I kept listening to his long out-of-print early recordings, which I managed to find at swap meets and garage sales, but otherwise, as far as I was concerned, Barry McGuire was gone for good.

Fast forward to 2005. I'm sitting in front of my TV, watching one of those typical PBS pledge-drive nostalgia concerts that specialize in unearthing old musicians who have long gone from the public eye, and to my huge surprise, who do I see? Well, well, it's the New Christy Minstrels, with Barry McGuire in the line-up, singing "Green Green" and "Eve Of Destruction" and sounding unbelievably good, exactly forty years after my introduction to him. I could not have been more thrilled! What followed was a Google search and, a day later, I was in direct touch with Barry, via email. True story.

In August 2007, I went with my friend Hans to the intimate Coffee Gallery Backstage in Altadena to see Barry perform at the tender age of seventy two, alongside his friend and musical collaborator Terry Talbot of Mason Proffit fame. The show, titled "Trippin' The Sixties", featured some of the greatest American songs of the sixties, many of them with some direct connection to Barry.  His stories about Bob Dylan, Mama Cass and others were fun to listen to.

Sadly, the show was marred by a sound problem that persisted throughout the evening and the main culprit was the speaker that was supposed to carry primarily Barry's voice. Still, I loved  the songs and enjoyed watching Barry, whose vitality and "joie de vivre" are hard to forget. 

Barry McGuire at the Coffee Gallery Backstage

Yes, the sound was disappointing, but on the plus side, I got to meet Bary after the show. We shook hands and had a brief conversation. I mentioned to him that there was an opportunity for someone to write a Christian-themed song that uses a word-play on the title of his best known secular song. "What do you mean?", Barry asked. I said "The Destruction Of Eve would be a good title for a Christian song, wouldn't it?". Barry had a good laugh and said "I've never thought of that". What an unforgettable moment!

Partial set list

Green Green

Greenback Dollar

Eve Of Destruction

Hair 

Reason To Believe

If I Were A Carpenter

Creeque Alley

California Dreamin'

Mr. Tambourine Man

Woodstock

Daydream

Suite: Judy Blue Eyes

Do You Believe In Magic 

Times They Are A Changing

Quite often during the show, Terry Talbot's overzealous singing and loud strumming overpowered Barry's voice, something I did not appreciate, as I was there to hear Barry and no one else. In addition to backing up Barry, Terry also soloed on "Two Hangmen", from his days with Mason Proffit.

Barry McGuire (left) and Terry Talbot at the end of their set

While looking his age, Barry did not sound his age at all. I was impressed by the way he told his stories, without ever stumbling or halting. His singing voice was "trademark Barry McGuire", easy to recognize even after the passing of so many decades.

A few months later, in December 2007, I went back to the Coffee Gallery to catch Barry once again. This time the sound was perfect and I had a blast. The set list remained pretty much unchanged, not necessarily a bad thing. In addition to his repertoire of songs from the sixties, Barry also sang his own Christian song, "Cosmic Cowboy", which sounded quite good. Just like the first time, Barry was accompanied by Terry Talbot and just like the first time, I would have preferred him to be a lower-key partner, not because he is not a good musician in his own right, but simply because I wanted more Barry.

Here's a YouTube video of "Eve Of Destruction" with Barry McGuire and Terry Talbot:

The Coffee Hallery is a small venue, without green rooms and secret chambers, so once again I got to talk with Barry, both before and after the show. This time, our conversation went on for fifteen minutes or so.

My close encounters with Barry McGuire will forever remain a highlight of my concert-going life.

Barry McGuire (center), with My Better Half and Yours Truly

Barry McGuire (left), with Terry Talbot

Barry McGuire promo DVD, given to me by Barry himself

Barry McGuire card

Concert #642 - Jackshit at McCabe's Guitar Shop (June 23, 2012)

Those folks who are wondering why I'm always there when Jackshit plays Santa Monica should have been in the audience last night at McCabe's. For me, the fun started with the spotting of Leonard Cohen, who walked in just before show time and quickly disappeared upstairs. I wasn't expecting him to guest on the show - and he didn't - but just being under the same roof with the artist who has been delighting me for decades gave me an unforgettable thrill.

Then there's always the question about unannounced guests - will there be any? And yes, last night there were a few. Once again, Jackson Browne popped in as "Browne Shit" and delivered an outstanding four-song set that opened with Ween's "Pretty Girl", followed by Jackson's own "Here Comes Those Tears Again" and "Running On Empty" and culminated with the playing of Leonard Cohen's gorgeous "A Thousand Kisses Deep", with additional support from Spanish guitarist Javier Mas and Moldavian violinist Alex Bublitchi, both from Leonard Cohen's band.

Jackson Browne (center), with Val McCallum (left) and Pete Thomas

In perfect alignment with Jackshit's western wear dress code, Jackson Browne came out with a cowboy hat that he didn't really want to wear and, after struggling to find an adequate storage space on the crowded stage, he simply passed it on to me, as I was sitting in the front row, literally at his feet. I don't like having large objects on my lap while watching a show, but I can always make an exception for the headwear belonging to inductees of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame!

Jackson got his hat back when he rejoined the band to sing "Take It Easy", a song he wrote for the Eagles in the early seventies. It was a fitting end to an incredible night of music that saw the Boys from Cochtotin in great vocal and instrumental form and I'm theorizing that Leonard Cohen's mere presence in the house must have given the band an extra-incentive to go the extra-mile. Val McCallum's guitar playing was as strong as ever. His treatment of "Pretty Polly" was something to behold, but then again, I could say that about anything else Val does. Pete's rapturous drumming on Johnny Horton's "I'm Coming Home" and Davey's bass intro to Pat MacDonald's "Drinkin' Or Drivin" were superb and so were Davey's falsetto sounds on "Ring Of Fire".

Last night also marked the welcome and long-overdue return of "Ugly And Slouchy" and its delightful rock & roll medley, which consisted of some classic Blood, Sweat & Tears, Sugarloaf and Doobie Brothers material. The always-fun Shit Horns also made an appearance, this time as a trio, to help the band with the playing of "Ring Of Fire" and "The Lonely Bull".

Two of the three Shit Horns, with Alex Bublitchi (left) and Davey Faragher (right)

Two new songs made their way into the set list: "If I Could Only Win Your Love", an old Louvin Brothers tune, and "Where Does The Good Times Go" from Buck Owens' repertoire.

One of the two set lists left behind on the stage

The other set list

With their unmatched musical skills, power and humor, Jackshit remains one of the best acts one can catch in LA or anywhere else, as a matter of fact. Be there the next time they are anywhere near you.

Jackson Browne leaving the stage

Javier Mas (left) and Davey Faragher exiting the stage

"Pretty Girl" lyrics sheet on Davey Faragher's music stand

Two of Val McCallum's guitar picks